Since 1985, the lawyers at Shapiro & Appleton have dedicated their practice to helping people when they need it most. Our clients are usually down and out after a serious accident, struggling financially, physically, and emotionally. We take pride in advocating for the downtrodden and injured and getting the financial restitution they are owed.

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We are very proud of the success we have had in obtaining large settlements, arbitration awards, judgments, and jury verdicts. Our success is based mainly on our experience in courtrooms across Virginia.

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By adapting and being familiar with not only Virginia and North Carolina Courts, but also Courts throughout the Eastern United States, our attorneys have developed a set of skills that can be incredibly useful in every sort of significant personal injury case.

The attorneys with our firm actively engage in continuing legal education seminars in the field of injury law. Our lawyers have also regularly delivered lectures to personal injury lawyers not only in Virginia but at national trial organizations.

To stay on the leading edge of personal injury law, all of the firm's attorneys are active in local, state, and national personal injury trial law organizations. We also retain the services of forensic animators, videographers, and computer specialists to produce compelling evidence that will persuade a jury to award maximum damages.

Mesothelioma and Its Impact on Railroad Workers

For almost a century, asbestos was used in all kinds of materials. This mineral is made up of tiny fibers. The reason for its popularity was that it has a high resistance to fire, heat, and many chemicals. Asbestos was used in fireproofing materials, building supplies, and many other products that we are exposed to every day. But asbestos can be lethal to anyone who is exposed to it. Many people who worked in construction and transportation industries have developed mesothelioma and other asbestos-related cancers and diseases.

Until a few decades ago, steam was the primary mode of power for trains. Asbestos was used in multiple products that railroad workers used and were exposed to every single day. Asbestos-containing products were used to insulate steam pipes, ceilings, gaskets, and brake shoes. In the repair shops, railroad workers handled sheets of asbestos, cutting and fitting the sheets onto items that they were repairing.

What none of these railroad workers knew – but railroad officials knew – was that this daily exposure would end up being a death sentence for thousands of workers and their families.

Asbestos was banned by the U.S. government in the 1970’s because it was revealed that the microscopic fibers from asbestos easily broke off and if inhaled, could cause lung cancers, stomach cancers, and other fatal diseases. This wasn’t new news to railroad industry officials. Evidence has revealed that they knew as far back as the 1920’s what asbestos exposure could do to workers.

There are three different types of mesothelioma that railroad victims can develop.

The most common type is pleural mesothelioma. This type of mesothelioma develops in the lining of the lungs. Approximately 75 percent of victims develop this type. It is often misdiagnosed as lung cancer or pneumonia. Some of the most common symptoms include:

Chest pain;

Excessive coughing;

Fatigue;

Fluid in the lungs;

All over body aches and pains; and

Sudden weight loss.

Peritoneal mesothelioma develops in the lining of the abdomen and affects approximately 25 percent of people who develop mesothelioma from asbestos exposure. Some common symptoms include:

Pain and swelling of the stomach;

Anemia;

Fluid buildup in abdomen area;

Bowel obstruction;

Sudden weight loss;

Fever; and

Nausea.

The third type of mesothelioma that can develop from asbestos exposure affects the lining of the heart. Pericardial is a rare form of mesothelioma and is often misdiagnosed as heart disease or heart failure. Symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma include:

Chest pain;

Heart murmur;

Pericardial effusion;

Arrhythmia;

Dyspnea;

Fever; and

Night sweats

Contact a Carolinas Mesothelioma Attorney Today

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or any other asbestos-related disease, contact a North Carolina asbestos attorney today to discuss what legal options you may have. It is imperative that you do not delay because, under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA), victims only have three years from the time a victim knows or should have known that their disease or death was connected to their work with the railroad.

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